Monday, 27 July 2015

Israeli settlers filled up an ancient agricultural well in the West Bank village of Deir Istiya west of Salfit on Saturday, local farmers told Ma'an News Agency.

Witnesses said that the settlers filled the well with earth and rocks using "primitive" tools.

Khalid Maali, a researcher on settlement affairs, said that filling up the well is part of a larger plan to forcibly move people from Wadi Qana to clear the way for the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.

Several illegal Israeli settlements surround Deir Istiya, the closest of which are Revava and YaqirI.

About 17 percent of Deir Istiya's village territory is classified as Area B, according to the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem, with the remaining 83 percent Area C, giving Israel full civil and military authority.

ARIJ said in a 2013 report that Deir Istiya "has been subjected to numerous Israeli confiscations for the benefit of various Israeli objectives," including the construction of settlements, outposts, checkpoints, bypass roads and the Israeli separation wall. more

Palestinian teenager Muhammad Abu Latifa was "executed" during an arrest raid in the Qalandiya refugee camp on Monday, his family said, refuting claims that he fell from a rooftop while being chased by Israeli soldiers.

Locals said that Israeli military vehicles raided the camp early Monday and broke into the home of Muhammad Abu Latifa, 18, in an attempt to detain him.
Israeli soldiers opened fire at the teenager as he attempted to run away, hitting him in the lower body.

Israeli police said that Abu Latifa fell to his death while he was running away across rooftops in the camp.

Muhammad's uncle, Jamal Abu Latifa, refuted the police statement, saying that Israeli soldiers detained Muhammad after shooting him in the feet.
"He was chased at 5:30 a.m., shot in the feet then arrested alive. Surprisingly, the Israeli soldiers shot him in the chest, then tied him with electricity wires and we have evidence that some of his body parts were fractured as a result of the assault by soldiers," he told Ma'an. more